Ball joint connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138927-B2
Application number	US-201315103672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A ball joint connector for connecting an elongated element to a ball pin includes a socket having a cylindrical cavity for receiving a ball of a ball pin with an opening at one end and a dome-shaped end wall at the opposite end, and a clip disposed at least partially within the cavity and dimensioned to encompass more than the upper hemisphere of the ball, the clip being moveable between a locking position and a retracted assembly/disassembly position characterized in that the clip is arranged to extend, in its locking position, in abutment with the surface of a ball received in the cavity on opposing sides of the ball on each side over a portion of the upper hemisphere and with its lower end portion over an adjoining surface portion of the lower hemisphere.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ball joint connector for connecting an elongated element to a ball pin ( 2 ), comprising;
a socket ( 10 ) having a cylindrical cavity ( 12 ) defining a central axis for receiving a ball of the ball pin with an opening ( 14 ) at one end and a dome-shaped end wall ( 11 ) at an opposite end with the dome-shaped end wall defining a central opening, the socket being adapted to be connectable to the elongated element; and
a clip ( 30 ) disposed at least partially within the cavity and dimensioned to encompass, when the ball is received in the cavity, more than an upper hemisphere of the ball which is opposite to a lower hemisphere on which a pin of the ball pin is coaxially carried, said clip having a central apex portion and two opposite end portions extending from the central apex portion with the clip being moveable between a locking position, in which the clip extends with the two opposite end portions into the lower hemisphere of the ball to be in abutment with surface portions in the lower hemisphere to hold the ball secured in the cavity and a retracted assembly position in which the opposite end portions of the clip allow the ball to pass for an insertion to and removal from the cavity, wherein the central apex portion is accessible through the central opening of the dome-shaped end wall of the socket to retract the clip along the central axis into the retracted assembly position,
wherein the clip ( 30 ) is arranged to extend, in the locking position, in abutment with a surface of the ball received in the cavity on opposing sides of the ball on each side over a portion of the upper hemisphere and with the opposite end portion of the clip over an adjoining surface portion of the lower hemisphere of the ball, and the clip ( 30 ) is received in grooves ( 41 ) formed in an inner wall of the cavity extending in a symmetrical manner on opposite side regions of the cavity from a first end of the groove close to the opening of the cavity to a second end of the groove in the dome-shaped end wall; and
wherein a depth of each groove is increasing starting from the first end of the groove to form a flaring groove bottom ( 42 ) with the opposite end portions engaging the flaring groove bottom to support the opposite end portions in the locking position to keep the ball in the cavity, wherein the increasing depth of the groove is arranged such that the opposite end portions of the clip are free to be moved radially outwardly into a region ( 44 ) of increased depth of the groove to move to the retracted assembly position to allow the ball to pass by the opposite end portions of the clip.

2. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the groove ( 41 ) extends in a plane which is parallel to but displaced from the central axis of the cylindrical cavity ( 12 ).

3. A ball joint connector according to claim 2 , wherein the socket ( 10 ) is divided in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the cylindrical cavity ( 12 ) into a lower and an upper socket part which are securely connected to each other.

4. A ball joint connector according to claim 2 , wherein the grooves ( 41 ) are arranged such that the depth is decreasing in an end portion adjoining the second end to form a tapering groove bottom ( 46 ) near the second end against which the clip ( 30 ) is pressed when the clip is in the assembly position such that contact with the tapering groove bottom ( 46 ) generates a bias force on the clip directed to move the clip to the locking position.

5. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the grooves ( 41 ) are arranged such that the depth is decreasing in an end portion adjoining the second end to form a tapering groove bottom ( 46 ) near the second end against which the clip ( 30 ) is pressed when the clip is in the assembly position such that contact with the tapering groove bottom ( 46 ) generates a bias force on the clip directed to move the clip to the locking position.

6. A ball joint connector according to claim 5 , wherein the clip ( 30 ) comprises two integrally formed leg portions ( 34 ) extending from the central apex portion in a symmetrical manner, wherein inner walls of the leg portions are curved with a radius of curvature corresponding to a radius of the ball to be received in the cavity.

7. A ball joint connector according to claim 6 , wherein the central apex portion ( 32 ) is arranged to provide a handling tab adapted to extend to the central opening ( 8 ) in the dome-shaped end wall ( 11 ) of the socket ( 10 ) to allow access to the handling tab.

8. A ball joint connector according to claim 7 , wherein the central apex portion ( 32 ) is formed as an outwardly extending loop connecting the two leg portions, and the outwardly extending loop provides the handling tab.

9. A ball joint connector according to claim 6 , wherein the clip is arranged in shoulder regions ( 36 ) in transition regions between the central apex portion ( 32 ) and the leg portions ( 34 ) to cooperate with the tapering groove bottom ( 46 ) against which the shoulder regions are pressed when the clip is in the assembly position to generate a force on the leg portions which supports a pivotal outward movement of the leg portions such that the opposite end portions of the clip are moved radially outward to allow the ball of the ball pin to pass.

10. A ball joint connector according to claim 9 , wherein the clip comprises in the central apex portion ( 32 ) and/or the adjoining shoulder regions ( 36 ) at least one zone of reduced material thickness to provide a flexure hinge enabling the leg portions ( 34 ) to be pivoted outwardly.

11. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the clip is formed of resilient material.

12. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the dome-shaped end wall ( 11 ) is a hemispherical end wall having a radius of curvature corresponding to a radius of the ball to be received.

13. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical cavity comprises an outer rim portion ( 16 ) surrounding the opening ( 14 ) of the socket with a tapering circumferential wall to simplify insertion of the ball into the cavity through the opening of the socket.

14. A ball joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the socket ( 10 ) has an essentially cylindrical shape with two outwardly extending flanges ( 18 ) at both opposite faces, wherein a damper ring ( 40 ) is received in a space between the flanges surrounding the cylindrical socket and fills the space, wherein the damper ring ( 40 ) is enveloped by a cage ring ( 50 ) to which a terminal rod ( 60 ) of the elongated element is connectable.

15. A ball joint connector according claim 1 , wherein the clip ( 30 ) comprises two integrally formed leg portions ( 34 ) extending from the central apex portion in a symmetrical manner, wherein inner walls of the leg portions are curved with a radius of curvature corresponding to a radius of the ball to be received in the cavity.

Assignees

• Kongsberg Automotive Ab

Inventors

• Hermansson Bengt
• Sundberg Patrik

Classifications

• F16C1/108

  Reducing or controlling of vibrations, e.g. by resilient damping of noise · CPC title

• Y10T403/32737

  including liner, shim, or discrete seat · CPC title

• F16C11/0623

  Construction or details of the socket member · CPC title

• F16C2226/74

  with snap-fit, e.g. by clips · CPC title

• F16C11/0652

  combined with a damper other than elastic linings · CPC title